The Henson Journals

[7]

Thursday, April 5th, 1923.

For just as a ship's lookout, who sees what lies ahead before the ship's captain does, nevertheless turns to him for orders and does what he ordains, so the public man whose eyes are fixed on glory is a servant of the multitude, although he has the name of ruler.

Plutarch. 'Agis' (x. 3.)

This is not a bad description of a politician in a modern democracy: and certainly it is not an attractive picture.

The weather continues wet. We sate indoors after breakfast, and I had a lively talk with Filson Young and Tweed on many subjects. Then we went through the rain to see Grey

Abbey, the ruined Cistercian monastery about 2 miles away. General Montgomery, the owner, showed us the ruin with politeness and an ignorance which might have become a professional guide.

Lord Carnarvon's death is reported in the morning papers. His extraordinary luck as an explorer of Egyptian tombs will secure his immortality, and his untimely death on the morrow of triumph will give a fillip to all the squalid superstitions of spiritualism.

Mine host and I had some conversation on Capitalism & Labour, which interested me as disclosing the opinions of a large capitalist. Castlereagh is reading History at Oxford under the guidance of Hassall. We played a variety of card–games after dinner, and so to bed.

---